The importance of stretching after training

Beginner exercisers usually skip stretching after their training, thinking that it is not that important and that it is just a waste of time and energy.  Most just go ahead into their training, work their muscles out hard, and look to get out of the gym as fast as they can thinking that they can avoid some of the muscle soreness long enough to get home.  But then, that is why they are just beginners.  Contrary to this perception, stretching is a very important part of any workout.  Stretching after training is very important just as stretching before training is essential.  It is not a waste of time and it certainly is not a waste of effort.   

The importance of stretching after training cannot be over emphasized.  It should be taken seriously and it should not be left out as much as possible.  Stretching is actually a part of the training; it is not just an extra set of exercises meant only to prolong the workout.

There are many benefits to stretching after training. It helps cool your muscles down after a long and intense workout, it relieves the tightness in the muscles that resulted from the workout, it reduces the soreness of the body, it revitalizes the circulation of blood around the body, and it helps maintain the flexibility of the ligaments and the joints.

Stretching after your training is a great way to cool your muscles down.  With the proper cool down, your muscles will be primed to recover more efficiently from the effects of the workout and your body will be able to get back to its full potential much faster too.  Remember that during your training, your body undergoes a number of very strenuous processes.  The muscle fibers, the tendons, and the ligaments all endure a certain amount of damage, to help them recover well it is very important to stretch them properly after your training.

Stretching after your training will also go a long way in preventing your body from experiencing a lot of post training body soreness.  This is the kind of soreness that is usually experienced by the body the next day after strenuous training.  It is brought about by several factors. 

First, training causes very small tears in the muscle fibers and these tears in turn cause the muscles to swell. When the muscles swell, they put pressure on the nerves and this pressure causes the body to feel sore.  Stretching after training helps prevent the swelling that is caused by the tears in the muscle fibers.

Second, training causes “blood pooling”.  This is when some of the blood that was pumped into the muscles by the heart during training remains in the muscles along with some lactic acid and some other waste products because the training was stopped abruptly.  To prevent this abrupt stoppage in training and to continue the smooth circulation of the blood through the muscles and the rest of the body, the right amount and the right kind of after training stretching exercises are indispensable.